Rage Software (Company)

88 / 10020

Rage Software or Rage Games or FX Digital Network was a British video game developer. Formed in Liverpool in 1992, its games were marked by an emphasis on graphical effects with arcade gameplay.

Rage's first title Striker sold more than one million copies throughout its two-year life cycle and established Rage as a major creative force in the interactive entertainment industry. The company went through rapid expansion in the 1990s and partnered with multiple third party software publishers for distribution of its titles.

Rage Games Limited was floated on the stock exchange in 1996 as Rage Software plc. Rage continued to form commercial partnerships with major publishing houses, including Microsoft, Intel, Dell, Compaq, Nintendo, Sony and Sega, and re-registered as a private company as Rage Software Limited in 1999.

In 2000, Rage began to expand into publishing. However, the costs of publishing and a run of games that did not sell as expected (most notably the David Beckham franchise) eventually led to the company closing in January 2003 due to bankruptcy. At that time, it was one of the oldest game developers in the UK and at its peak had offices in Liverpool, Birmingham, Sheffield, Newcastle, Bristol and Warrington.

Some of the former development staff have formed other game development companies such as Swordfish Studios in Birmingham, Juice Games in Warrington and Venom Games in Newcastle.